Second Assault — Bond And Treason — novel Chapter 27

Earlier that day.

ALEXEI

When I woke up, Xander wasn't by my side, which puzzled me a little. Last night he had to revive some of the trauma that happened under Dimitri's claws, and he was quite exhausted. I thought he'd sleep soundly today, but it seems I was wrong. I check the time on my phone and it's ten to nine. If he woke up at the same time, as usual, that means he's been up for about two hours.

I stretch out before getting out of bed and going to the bathroom. I brush my teeth, take a fast shower and go outside with a towel around my waist. I choose a suit from my closet and put it on, properly fitting my tie and wearing a pair of black polished shoes. Once I'm ready, it's 9:15, and Xander still hasn't returned, so I grab my phone from the nightstand and leave the bedroom.

The corridors are quite busy with henchmen, moving from here to there, following the strict orders I gave them to keep the base safe. After spinning around a corner, I see Yaakov in the distance talking to Mark, one of the oldest guards in the organization, so I approach them.

—Good morning, Your Majesty — he greets me with an amusing smile, saying goodbye to Mark, who leaves after a brief bow —. Someone's sheets were stuck again.

—Fuck off — I accompany my insult with the pleasant sight of my middle finger —. Have you seen Xander?

—No — checks the hour on the clock on his wrist —. Maybe he's with Fredek. They usually have breakfast together when you oversleep, which is, every day — I nod, without wanting to argue, and we start walking towards the Arsenal.

—I need you to come with me to a place in twenty minutes, so get everything ready — I'll tell him as we turn into one of the corridors.

—Where to? — Taking the phone out of his jacket, then he moves the fingers across the screen.

—You'll see — a smile of satisfaction crosses my face as I remember the great discovery I managed to make last night while Xander was sleeping.

I can see the Arsenal in the distance, so I'm speeding up the pace.

I don't want to leave without saying goodbye to Xander. With only a couple of steps to go, Nikon appears in our field of vision, with his characteristic carefree walk.

—Wow. The bosses honor us with their divine presence? It's not often we see the two of you around here — sticking the hands in his trouser pockets.

—You talk like we've been on this base forever and this is the sewers or some shit — he shrugs, not answering directly —. Have you seen Xander? I need to talk to him.

—Yes, Lev took him to the greenhouse. Supposedly, they needed to pick some herbs for the cook.

—Fuck, what a pain in the ass, Magnus — Yaakov's complaining, making a pitiful face —. The greenhouse is a long way from here.

—Maybe you can use the exercise to get that tummy of yours down — Nikon snorts humorously, pointing at Yaakov's stomach. My cousin, reluctant to take the bait, fights back.

—I could get Adrik to help me. I'm told he's very skillful with a few moves — turning his hips obscenely, while I notice how Nikon's face goes through a thousand colors until it ends in a furious red.

—You piece of...

—That's enough, both of you — I stand between them and put a hand on each chest —. I don't have all day for this, so let's go, Yaak — I'm turning away from the Arsenal. After a few seconds, I feel Yaakov's footsteps behind me, which is a relief since I don't have to return to prevent these two from killing themselves.

—Hey, Alex! — Nikon screams just before we get out of his line of sight —. That Angelo guy came by a while ago!

—What? — I ask Yaakov —. Where is he?

—Didn't you see him? — he asks me, puzzled —. I thought he'd go to your office.

—I was not there, when I found you, I was coming out of my bedroom.

—Well, maybe he's gone now — he suggests, shrugging.

I disregard the matter and go my way. The greenhouse on this base was built to provide food in case it was risky to leave the facility for any reason.

Yes, a bit paranoid, but quite effective and useful, and the meals taste better when cooked with natural ingredients.

—Did you know Angelo was coming? — Yaakov asks, interrupting the silence after a while.

—He didn't bother to warn. But when has he done it, anyway? — I still give my phone a quick scan just in case. Nothing, as I suspected. He just shows up whenever he feels like it.

—He may have wanted to see Xander again — he says in a seemingly innocent tone. As if I didn't know him well enough.

—That's enough, stop trying to create crazy, absurd ideas in my head — I scold and tap him on the shoulder.

—Hey, but it may be true — rubbing the area where I hit him —. Have you even begun to analyze the idea a little? Maybe...

—Do you want me to hit you again? — I threaten him with a low, somber tone, which he promptly denies with the head —. Well, then shut the fuck up. The last time I took your advice, I almost lost my partner. So you better keep your insinuations and unfounded assumptions to yourself.

—Okay, damn it — raising the hands like he's giving up —. I'm just saying.

—Well, don't. I trust Xander with my life — I cut him off and to my relief, we walk the rest of the way in silence.

The greenhouse is located in one of the most remote and extensive areas of the installation.

The roof is covered with reinforced glass, to allow the sun to enter, and above it, with an extensive network of stainless steel grids crisscrossed to prevent unwanted guests from entering. Right in the middle a long path to be able to move through the place, with small folding showers in charge of keeping the plants and trees hydrated.